Beijing
Four-day Private Tour

TOUR ITINERARY

Tour
code:GWA-BJ-401

Day 1:

We will meet you at Peking International Airport, and from
there drive by private mini bus to the Summer Palace. Having
the largest royal park and being well preserved, the Summer
Palace is ranked amongst the most noted and classical
gardens of the world. In 1998, UNESCO listed it as one of
the World Heritage Sites. Like most of the gardens of
Beijing, it could not elude the rampages of the Anglo-French
allied force of 1860 and was destroyed by fire. In 1888,
Empress Dowager Cixi embezzled navy funds to reconstruct it
for her own benefit, changing its name to Summer Palace (Yiheyuan).
She spent most of her later years there, dealing with state
affairs and entertaining.

Highlights not to be missed are climbing Longevity Hill,
viewing the Empress Dowager Cixi’s extravagant Marble Boat,
and talking a walk down Suzhou jie, a canal meant to
resemble the beautiful river city of Suzhou.

After a refreshing lunch we will head to Tian’anmen Square.
The largest public square in the world at 440,000 square
meters, Tian’anmen Square has been the site of the most
important developments in China’s modern political and
cultural history. It was the stage for the May 4th movement
(where in 1919 Chinese students protested the transfer of
Shandong province from Germany to Japan), the protests
following the death of premier Zhou Enlai in 1976, and of
course the political turmoil of 1989. The Monument to the
People’s Heroes marks the center of the square, a ten-story
obelisk built in dedication to those who died fighting for
Chinese Revolution. The square is flanked on the east by the
National Museum of China (set to reopen in late 2010), on
the west by the Great Hall of People (home of china’s
legislative bodies), to the south by the Chairman Mao
Memorial Hall (where his body lies in a crystal coffin), and
of course to the north by the Gate of Heavenly Peace, with
its distinctive portrait of Mao Zedong. The Gate of Heavenly
Peace is the official symbol of the People’s Republic of
China.

After walking across the square we will enter the Forbidden
City, the world’s largest surviving palace complex and the
former home of the emperors of the Ming and Qing Dynasty.
The Forbidden City is one of the greatest attractions in the
world, and once you enter its confines it is easy to see
why. Built by the third Ming emperor between 1406-1422, the
Forbidden City served as the official residence to the
Emperor of China until the last emperor, Puyi, was forced to
evacuate in 1924. Afterwards, the Forbidden City was
officially known as the Palace Museum. The Forbidden City is
divided into two parts. The southern section, or the Outer
Court, was where the emperor exercised his supreme power
over the nation. The northern section, or the Inner Court
was where he lived with his royal family. Consisting of 980
buildings with 8,707 bays of rooms, the Forbidden City is
the best example of classical Chinese architecture in the
world, and is one of the greatest wonders of the world.

After exploring the Forbidden City we will take you to your
hotel. Get a good night sleep, because you will need it for
tomorrow!

Day 2:

After meeting you at your hotel in the morning we
will drive to the Great Wall at Badaling. Badaling was the
first section of the Great Wall to be opened to the public
in 1957, and is therefore the best known among visitors.
Badaling was the site of U.S. President’s Richard Nixon’s
visit to the Great Wall on his historic trip to China, and
is a popular choice for celebrities, foreign dignitaries and
leaders (U.S. President Obama visited Badaling in November
of 2009). Badaling also offers incredible views of the wall
winding and twisting along the hills. After a delicious
lunch we will make the short journey by minibus to the Ming
Tombs.

The Ming Tombs, about 50 km/31 miles from Beijing, are where
13 emperors of the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) are buried. This
site was carefully chosen for its feng shui principles by
the third Ming emperor Yongle (who also moved the capital
from Nanjing to Beijing and began construction on the
Forbidden City). The tomb we will visit, Dingling, is the
tomb of the Wanli Emperor. It is the only one of the Ming
Dynasty Tombs to have been excavated. It also remains the
only imperial tomb to have been excavated since the founding
of the People's Republic of China, After viewing the tombs,
we will head to the “Shenlu”, or the Spirit Way. The Spirit
Way leads into the complex, lined with statues of guardian
animals and officials, with a front gate consisting of a
three-arches, painted red, and called the "Great Red Gate".
The Sacred Way, starts with a huge stone memorial archway
lying at the front of the area. Constructed in 1540, during
the Ming Dynasty, this archway is one of the biggest stone
archways in China today.

After walking the Spirit Way we will take you back to your
hotel, completing the day’s travels.

Note: Because Badaling is so well known, it often gets very
crowded. If you wish, we can go instead to the Great Wall at
Mutianyu, which, like Badaling is in good condition, but
much more peaceful. Please let us know which you prefer
before booking.

Day 3:

We hoe you are ready for another full day of seeing the
wonders of Beijing! After meeting you at your hotel in the
morning, we will make our way by bus to the Temple of Heaven park. The complex was visited by the Emperors of the Ming
and Qing dynasties for annual ceremonies of prayer to Heaven
for good harvest. The Temple of Heaven park is best known
for the Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests, an iconic building
famed for its magnificent triple-gabled circular roof. You
will also have an opportunity to walk the same imperial
walkway that the same emperors walked hundreds of years ago
to fulfill their holy rites. You will also see Beijing’s
senior citizens using the park grounds for everything from
tai chi and ballroom dancing to bullwhip practice!

We will then drive a little bit north to the Lhama Temple.
Other than the temples in Tibet this is the best Buddhist
temple in China. Work on the Lhama Temple originally began
in 1694 during the Qing dynasty. It served as an official
residence for the court eunuchs. It was then converted into
the home of the Prince Yong, a son of the Kangxi Emperor and
himself the future Yongzheng Emperor. It was converted into
a lamasery after his ascension to the throne in 1722. Today
the Lhama Temple still functions as a monastery and temple
of the Geluk School of Tibetan Buddhism. You will see many
active Tibetan monks and Buddhists at the temple today.
Walking through the temple your senses will be enveloped by
the incenses and the chanting of the visiting monks and
other followers. The rear Pavilion of Ten Thousand
Happinesses features a 26m tall statue of the Maitreya
Buddha cared from a single piece of white sandalwood. It is
one of three artworks in the Lhama Temple that were included
in the Guiness Book of World Records, and it is not to be
missed on your visit.

After a filling Chinese lunch we will conclude your tour
today by going on a hutong tour of old Beijing. You will go
on this tour by rickshaw. Hutongs are courtyard homes
grouped together around narrow alleys, and served as the
lifeline and center of everyday life in old Beijing. The
hutongs were a critical component in the development and
evolution of Beijing folklore and culture. While there are
still hutong houses in the city, they are quickly
disappearing due to the demands of a rapidly modernizing
Beijing, so see the hutongs while you still can.

On this tour we will also visit the Bell Tower, which with
its large copper bell was used to tell the time in old
Beijing, and Prince Gong’s Mansion, a large luxurious
mansion used by an official of the Qing Dynasty. After the
hutong tour we will drop you off back at your hotel.

Day 4:

While over the last three days you have seen the
sites associated with old Beijing, today you will view the
symbol of Beijing’s (and China’s) promising and bright
future, the Olympic Green. The Olympic Green was the center
of the event that captivated the world for two weeks in
August of 2008. After picking you up from your hotel we will
head over to this modern spectacle. The highlights include
the Bird’s Nest (officially known as the Beijing National
stadium) and the Water Cube (the Beijing National Aquatics
Center).

The Bird’s Nest gets its nickname from its outward design,
which originated from the study of Chinese ceramics,
implementing steel beams in order to hide supports for the
retractable roof, thus giving the stadium the appearance of
a "Bird's nest". The Bird’s Nest hosted the Opening and
Closing Ceremonies, athletic events, and football final of
the 2008 Summer Olympics, from 8 August to 24 August 2008.
Since the Olympic end, the Bird’s Nest has been used to host
events ranging from opera to a ski park.

The site of Michael Phelps’ Olympic triumph, the Water Cube
design combines modern technologies with Chinese traditional
values. In tradition, Chinese conceptualized a square Earth
and a round Heaven, and this formed the design’s central
theme. Moreover, the cube shape dominates ancient urban
buildings. The National Aquatics Center's design is of
traditional style to meet all its functional requirements.
The National Aquatics Center looks like a huge blue box,
from which it takes its nickname: the Water Cube. The Water
Cube is blue in order to reflect sunlight. The National
Aquatics Center shines in the sunlight like a pearl in
water. From the inside of the National Aquatics Center, you
may discover that the pneumatic cushions of all sizes are
just like sea bubbles.

After the Olympic Green we will drive you to the Peking
International Airport, ending your stay with us. After your
4 days on our tour you will know what it is like to
experience the magic and mystery of China.

Tour Inclusions：
1. Professional local guide
& driver;
4. Private air-conditioned
car or van for transportation;
5. Admission of the first
gate.